Friday, January 29, 2010

pretty penny

I recently tried my hand at resin jewelry, thinking I would make some things for holiday gifts. The results were mixed, but mostly because I was so excited to try it out that I didn't spend much time on the art I was covering. Resin is an epoxy and it needs to be done in a well ventilated place. That alone makes me want to not do it again, but when done right, really pretty things can happen.

So this week, I gave Aileen's Paper Glaze a try, as the bottle claimed to "create a hard, non-tacky glass-like finish". Well, since that's what resin does, and this is non-toxic and requires no mixing, it is very attractive. Instead of buying the pretty blanks off ETSY again (a little pricey, blah, blah, blah)I tried a few other things as the pendant blank- a shiny penny, a shell bead, and some buttons. The only one that is done is the penny and it is GORGEOUS! Ava has already decided that it is the craft for her 11th birthday (which is in August)and I made a couple Valentine themed shell beads that I will share when they are ready. I simply cut a piece of pretty paper and sealed it with, not mod podge, but this other stuff I'm testing out called Collage Pauge (also by Aileen's). When that dried I applied the Paper Glaze. It has a pointy tip and the glaze is very viscous so a nice dome formed without pouring over the edge. I bought some bails at the craft store and super glued them to the back. Here's the back:

The stuff I used for this felt way better to use than resin, which requires mixing and caution. See if you can find it. Do you have the Aileen's line in Australia? There is another stuff called diamond glaze but I don't know who makes it. Look for the non toxic dimensional glaze I guess. Try it. It is so satisfying. Then, send me a picture!

It was a good morning. I had 5 girls sitting at a table ready to go, and there is nothing like that. They were eager and willing to try new...

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